1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to folding door assemblies utilized in transportation vehicles, particularly to locking mechanisms for keeping the collapsed door panels together.
2. Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 786,569 discloses a locking mechanism for folding doors having a combination of a jamb-locking lever and a door-coupling lever mounted upon one door of a pair of folding doors coacting with the studs mounted on a jamb and two doors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,849,801 and 3,107,722 disclose a swinging hook engaging with a stud or a structural member of a hatch cover. A latching mechanism for holding the multi-leaf doors open having an H-shaped latching bar with one of the legs pivotally housed in a clamp and another leg being received in a T-shaped slot in a bracket was shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,836.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,860 discloses a gravity hook engaged with a keeper welded on the crank to prevent folded door panels from swinging.
Also, gravity hooks engaging with a keeper plate or spring-loaded plunger catch for holding bi-fold doors in collapsed position were patented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,189.
The prior art fails to disclose a novel locking mechanism described in the subject invention.